The last time Sri Lanka faced India, they faced the Men in Blue for a three-match series. When they take on the Black Caps, the Lions will be eager to make up for their loss in that series with a better performance. It’s interesting to note that New Zealand also played India in their previous T20I matches, and they lost humiliatingly to the Men in Blue. The hosts, on the other hand, will be full of confidence after winning the ODI series against Sri Lanka and will be looking to improve this time.
The Black Caps will be looking for a repeat of the ODI series in the series’ first match, which will be played at Eden Park. They will be looking to start the series off with a win. Tom Latham will be in charge of the hosts, and both teams will be desperate to win the T20 format after losing the T20I series to India. Driven by Dasun Shanaka, the guests would hope to enhance their exhibitions from the ODI series.
Match Details:
- Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
- Date & Time: April 5, 06:30 AM IST
- Live Streaming: Prime Video
Prediction
In the most recent T20I series against Sri Lanka, New Zealand has won four and never lost at home. In recent times, New Zealand has struggled with the T20I format. They have won only two out of the last 8 games. One against India and one against Ireland. They accepted a crushing defeat by 168 runs in their final T20I. At Ahmedabad, India batted first and scored 234 runs, including a century from Shubman Gill. The team was bowled out on 66, with only Daryl Mitchell (35 points) and Mitchell Santner (13) reaching double digits in the chase.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, is in the same boat. In their last eight T20Is, they have won three. They lost to India by 91 while pursuing 229 runs in their last T20I. With the exception of Kusal Mendis and Patthum Nissanka, no other player is in structure.
Top Fantasy Picks
- Charith Asalanka
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Daryl Mitchell
Dream11 Fantasy Team
- Wicket-Keepers: Kusal Mendis
- Batters: Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka (VC).
- All-rounders: Dasun Shanaka, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell (C), Wanindu Hasaranga
- Bowlers: Pramod Madushan , Maheesh Theekshana, Ish Sodhi
Probable Playing XIs
New Zealand (NZ):
- Mark Chapman
- Tim Seifert (wk)
- Tom Latham (C)
- Daryl Mitchell
- James Neesham
- Rachin Ravindra
- Ish Sodhi
- Henry Shipley
- Adam Milne
- Matt Henry
Sri Lanka (SL):
- Kusal Perera (wk)
- Kusal Mendis
- Charith Asalanka
- Dhananjaya de Silva
- Dasun Shanaka (C)
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Chamika Karunaratne
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Lahiru Kumara
- Dilshan Madushanka
Pitch Report:
The surface at Eden Park’s pitch is favorable to batters; As a result, both teams can anticipate a high-scoring contest. The team that bats first will try to put a big total on the board and start a run chase that could be exciting. It could be challenging for the team that bowls first because the bowlers have little to offer.
Where to watch
In India, you can watch the match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand on Amazon Prime Video.